Last Updated on March 1, 2024
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Jason Bateman is a household name in Hollywood. Considered one of the most prolific actors of his generation, Bateman has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows during his career. He has earned immense adoration for his incredible ability to reinvent himself.
Besides his on-screen success, Jason is also a family man who has been married for well over two decades. And while the actor’s love life rarely hits the headlines, his wife is a relatively familiar Hollywood personality too.
This post will focus less on Bateman’s career and more about his wife.
About Jason Bateman
Jason Kent Bateman is an American actor with dozens of movies and television credits to his name.
Bateman began acting in his childhood years. As a child actor, he appeared on the NBC drama series Little House on the Prairie (1981 – 1982) and The Hogan Family (1986 – 1991).
Bateman’s notable early adult roles were in the films Teen Wolf Too (1987) and Necessary Roughness (1991). He later accepted supporting roles in a couple of movies, such as Dodgeball (2004), Juno (2007), and Couples Retreat (2009).
Jason Bateman’s major film breakthrough came in 2009 after he landed a starring role in Extract. He subsequently starred in numerous movies over the following years, such as Horrible Bosses (2011), This Is Where I Leave You (2014), and Game Night (2018).
On television, Jason Bateman is best known for portraying Michael Bluth in the sitcom Arrested Development (2003 – 2019) and Marty Byrde in the crime drama series Ozark (2017 – 2022).
Jason Bateman’s Wife
Bateman is one of the many actors who found love in Hollywood. He’s married to actress Amanda Katherine Anka.
Like Bateman, Amanda Anka is an actress with achievements in both the film and television industries. Anka has also lent her voice to several animations during her career.
Amanda Anka’s Early Life
Amanda Katherine Anka was born on December 10, 1968, in New York City, New York, to Paul Albert Anka and Anne de Zogheb. She’s 54 years old as of 2023, a few weeks older than her husband who was born on January 14, 1969.
Amanda’s father is a famous Canadian-American singer and songwriter renowned for the smash hits Diana (1957) and Lonely Boy (1959), while her mother was a model. The couple divorced in 2000 but have both maintained close relationships with their children.
Amanda is the second of five biological sisters – Alicia Anka, Amelia Anka, Anthea Anka, and Alexandra Anka. She also has a younger half-brother from her father’s side called Ethan Anka.
Amanda Anka’s Education Background
There’s little information on Amanda Anka’s schooling and academic achievements. She has succeeded in keeping that information a secret.
However, it’s worth noting that Anka was born into a privileged family. Therefore, it’s logical to infer that she received proper education, presumably to college levels. If she didn’t, that’s probably because she chose to forego her studies and focus on her acting ambitions.
Amanda Anka’s Career Information
Amanda Anka began her acting career in the early ‘90s. She accepted a minor role in the 1991 television movie ‘Frankenstein: The College Years’ before landing a bigger role in the comedy vampire film ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ the following year.
In 1993, Anka portrayed Rita in the short crime film ‘The Last Job.’ The following year, she was cast as Tamara in the movie ‘Cityscrapes: Los Angeles‘ and Patti on the television series ‘Renegade.
In 1996, Amanda Anka starred alongside Nicholas Sadler in the film ‘The Method.’ She then had a minor role in ‘Lost Highway’ in 1997.
Anka took a brief hiatus from acting before bouncing back in 2000 with an appearance as Deputy Mina in the movie ‘Cherry Falls.’ The promising actress continued landing roles in both films and televisions. Her other noteworthy credits include Taxi (2004), Bones (television series; 2005 – 2017), The TV Set (2006), Lightbulb (2009), Ingenious (2009), Somewhere (2010), The Fosters (television series; 2013 – 2018), and The Batman (2022).
Besides acting, Amanda Anka is also a producer. Her most notable producer credit so far is on the drama series ‘The Morning Show.’
Amanda Anka and Jason Bateman’s Relationship Timeline
Amanda Anka and Jason Bateman first met at a Los Angeles Kings game. They were both 18 years old then.
But despite making each other’s acquaintance much earlier in their lives, Anka and Bateman did not hit it off straight away. As Amanda would later reveal in an interview with GQ, the couple did not date for the first ten years due to their conflicting priorities.
While both shared acting interests, Jason Bateman was a party animal while Amanda Anka was a lot more reserved. The fact that Bateman was already a rising child star while Anka was only getting started further complicated the equation.
However, Bateman gave up his partying habits years later and decided to pay more attention to his future. And since he was already best friends with Anka, the two easily began dating.
In a 2014 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Bateman mentioned that he was determined to settle down with a friend he had known for the longest period. He said “I looked around at the relationships that were the longest in my life, and they were the ones I had with my friends. I thought, if I only wanted to get married once, I should probably marry a friend.”
Anka and Bateman eventually exchanged wedding vows on July 3, 2001. The couple initially struggled with Jason’s return to his old partying habits. However, ‘The Break-Up’ actor decided his marriage wasn’t going to live up to the movie’s storyline and turned over a new leaf……this time for good.
Does Amanda Anka And Jason Bateman Have Children Together?
Anka and Bateman have two children together, both daughters.
The couple welcomed their first daughter, Francesca Nora Bateman, on October 28, 2006. Their second daughter, Maple Sylvie Bateman, arrived on February 10, 2012.
Other Fun Facts About Amanda Anka
Amanda Anka has a passion for music, which she presumably got from her father. She reportedly sings and plays the piano during her free time.
Anka is also multilingual, with proficiencies in English, Spanish, and French. The actress is also best friends with Jennifer Aniston.